Nanoscale Au-ZnO heterostructure developed by atomic layer deposition towards amperometric H2O2 detection

Nanoscale Au-ZnO heterostructures were fabricated on 4-in. SiO2/Si wafers by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. Developed Au-ZnO heterostructures after post-deposition annealing at 250 degrees C were tested for amperometric hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection. The surface morphology and nanostructure of Au-ZnO heterostructures were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. Additionally, the electrochemical behavior of Au-ZnO heterostructures towards H2O2 sensing under various conditions is assessed by chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that ALD-fabricated Au-ZnO heterostructures exhibited one of the highest sensitivities of 0.53 mu A mu M(-1)cm(-2), the widest linear H2O2 detection range of 1.0 mu M-120mM, a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.78 mu M, excellent selectivity under the normal operation conditions, and great long-term stability. Utilization of the ALD deposition method opens up a unique opportunity for the improvement of the various capabilities of the devices based on Au-ZnO heterostructures for amperometric detection of different chemicals

A Cost-effective Shuffling Method against DDoS Attacks using Moving Target Defense

Moving Target Defense (MTD) has emerged as a newcomer into the asymmetric field of attack and defense, and shuffling-based MTD has been regarded as one of the most effective ways to mitigate DDoS attacks. However, previous work does not acknowledge that frequent shuffles would significantly intensify the overhead. MTD requires a quantitative measure to compare the cost and effectiveness of available adaptations and explore the best trade-off between them. In this paper, therefore, we propose a new cost-effective shuffling method against DDoS attacks using MTD. By exploiting Multi-Objective Markov Decision Processes to model the interaction between the attacker and the defender, and designing a cost-effective shuffling algorithm, we study the best trade-off between the effectiveness and cost of shuffling in a given shuffling scenario. Finally, simulation and experimentation on an experimental software defined network (SDN) indicate that our approach imposes an acceptable shuffling overload and is effective in mitigating DDoS attacks

On the (Im)plausibility of Public-Key Quantum Money from Collision-Resistant Hash Functions

Public-key quantum money is a cryptographic proposal for using highly entangled quantum states as currency that is publicly verifiable yet resistant to counterfeiting due to the laws of physics. Despite significant interest, constructing provably-secure public-key quantum money schemes based on standard cryptographic assumptions has remained an elusive goal. Even proposing plausibly-secure candidate schemes has been a challenge. These difficulties call for a deeper and systematic study of the structure of public-key quantum money schemes and the assumptions they can be based on. Motivated by this, we present the first black-box separation of quantum money and cryptographic primitives. Specifically, we show that collision-resistant hash functions cannot be used as a black-box to construct public-key quantum money schemes where the banknote verification makes classical queries to the hash function. Our result involves a novel combination of state synthesis techniques from quantum complexity theory and simulation techniques, including Zhandry's compressed oracle technique.Comment: 55 page

TOO HOT TO HANDLE: THE EFFECTS OF HIGH TEMPERATURES DURING PREGNANCY ON ENDOWMENT AND ADULT WELFARE OUTCOMES

Master'sMASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

Too hot to hold: the effects of high temperatures during pregnancy on birth weight and adult welfare outcomes

Exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy is generally associated with low birth weight---a proxy for endowment. But whether such early life shock is further related to welfare losses in adulthood is still unknown. Utilizing random temperature fluctuations across 123 counties in China, we examine the relationships between high temperatures during pregnancy and birth weight and later outcomes. One standard deviation of high temperature days during pregnancy triggers about 0.17 kilograms loss of birth weight, and further in adulthood 1.63 cm decrease in height and 0.86 years less of schooling. Health and intelligence outcomes are adversely affected as well. The impacts are concentrated in the first and third trimesters. Such effects should become part of the calculations of the costs of global warming. Back-of-the-envelope predictions suggest that at the end of the 21st century newborns on average weigh 54.36-210.44 grams less. And the losses in height and education years are 0.52-2.02 centimeters and 0.26-1.01 years, respectively. We also argue these patterns are more likely consistent with physiological effects than with income effects, because total precipitation and high temperatures in the growing season of one year before birth have no significant effects

Too hot to hold: the effects of high temperatures during pregnancy on endowment and adult welfare outcomes

We examine the relationships between high temperatures during pregnancy and birth weight and later outcomes using random temperature fluctuations across 131 counties in China. One standard deviation increase of high-temperature days during pregnancy triggers about 0.07 kg lower birth weight, and, in adulthood, a 0.80 cm decrease in height, 0.27 fewer years of schooling, 13.30% less annual earnings, and 8.77%, 10.96%, and 7.31% of one standard deviation lower for evaluated health, word-, and math-test score, respectively. The impacts seem to be concentrated in the second trimester. Such effects should be included in calculations of the costs of global warming. Back-of-the-envelope predictions suggest that at the end of the 21st century, newborns on average will weigh 0.02-0.09 kg less; losses in height and education years will be 0.27-1.05 cm and 0.09-0.35 years, respectively. We also conclude that adverse effects of high temperatures are more likely to be consistent with physiological effects than income effects, because: (i) places with the high proportion of heat-tolerant crop area do not mitigate any estimated temperature sensitivity during pregnancy and (ii) total precipitation and high temperatures in the last year growing season before birth have no significant effects on all outcomes

Characteristics of Knowledge Cooperation Network in a Design-driven Domain: A Social Network Analysis

The research is financed by: Social Science Funding Project of Jilin Province (No. 2017B141), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2016M590251), China Postdoctoral Science Special Fund (No.2018T110242). Abstract The field of scientific research is currently moving from an individual and single-discipline to a more cooperative discipline that combines various researchers and their capabilities. This study uses network analysis to explore the current situation and development trend characteristics of knowledge cooperation in the design field of Decoration. We construct large-scale networks using empirical data of sampled coauthored papers from 2008 to 2016. The main aims of this paper are: (a) to disclose different patterns of networking relationships among coauthored research works in the journal of Decoration and (b), to understand the mutual interaction of knowledge cooperation across regions and units in China’s field of design. The study found that the depth of knowledge cooperation in the field of design in China needed to be improved, the knowledge cooperation network also had a small-world effect, and the network community gradually emerged. In addition, the Chinese design field had made major advances in international cooperation, cross-regional cooperation, and diversification in the forms of research works. These findings could be used to recognize interdisciplinary and intra-disciplinary networks where research collaboration is supported and encouraged. However, there were still problems such as imbalanced levels of knowledge output among the groups. Keywords: design field; knowledge cooperation; social network analysis; decoration; small-world effec